The Philippines will play host to a world class beach volleyball tournament featuring top players from 10 countries in September.
Competing in the weeklong tourney to be known as the Philippine Sports Commission Beach Volleyball Invitational are crack tossers from the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vanuatu and two Filipino-foreign entries.
“Vanuatu is a small country in Micronesia, but the players they produce there are the toughest in the world,” said PSC beach volley consultant Eric LeCain Wednesday who is on top of the preparation for the tournament to be held either at the Mall of Asia or Philsports Arena.
He said the Philippine team is made up of a 5-foot-10 Filipino-Canadian and a 5-8 Filipino-American from California.
“They’re already here training. I will let them meet you guys as soon as we finalize everything,” said LeCain, adding that the meet will be held either at the Mall of Asia or Philsports Arena.
The American consultant said the PSC already has P2.5 million worth of high-quality beach volley sand at Philsports ready for the event.
LeCain said he sent Brazil an invitation but the volleyball world power has yet to confirm its participation.
PSC chair Richie Garcia, who confirmed the staging of the tournament in an interview with Sports Radio yesterday, said the event is a follow-up to the successful Shanghai Sharks project two years ago.
The PSC brought the Chinese basketball team owned by NBA great Yao Ming in 2013 to play a pair of exhibition games against a PBA selection and the Gilas Pilipinas national squad at the Araneta Coliseum.
Garcia said proceeds of the international beach volley tourney will go to the training of the national athletes.